The Decadon: The Old Faith of Westrun

The religions of man have long struggled with the identities of the powers they once called the Princes of Erenes, but now call the Pretenders.  

They do not appear in history before the 40th Century as elves reckon time, though they were considered by some sages to be Agathinon, at first. Unlike those ancient beings, however, they did not want to be left alone. 

They continued as temporal rulers for centuries among the kingdoms of men. Eventually, however, they were recalled in an act called the Divine Rescission. Thereafter, the Grand Temple of Heaven was formed to give them worship many believed they were due.  

At the end of the God War the one-time Princes of Erenes were reduced by the Church of Westrun to the so-called Pretender gods; and their cults were eventually altogether  banned. 

The Decadon was this:

Heimos - The pretender god of the heavens, of storms, magic and fury.

Heinil - The pretender god of the air; patron deity of ancient Peakshadow.

Heiniko - The pretender god of the Sea, male fertility, and knowledge, brother deity of Utunos

Inossa - The pretender goddess of sexual love, female fertility and warfare; matron deity of ancient Rath.

Kinurea - The pretender goddess of the earth; matron deity of Talir.

Noilos - The pretender god of the moon; one of the patron deities of Menea.

Ningula - The pretender goddess of darkness; wife of Noilos; mother of Bal, Du, and Ren.

Ninlee - A pretender air goddess and wife of Einil; one of the matron deities of Peakshadow; she was believed to reside in the same temple as Enlil.

Ninurtos - The pretender god of war and agriculture, one of the patron deities of Menea.

Utunos - The pretender god of the sun, brother of deity of Einiko.

The Princes of Erenes IX: Jondul Halfgiant

Jondul, was the son of Beleseri the Giantess and of Mykrojurs, the Prince of Erenes. He was considered wise among his kin and many though he was small among his people, they thought they saw in him the Yotinir of old. Thus they sought Jondul to be their chieftain. He was strong and greatly respected of their kind, but Jondul was much like his father and he sought a bride in his sire's way.

For the day came when he looked down into a great valley and espied a maiden, Hana, living among the tents of her father's people. So stricken was he with her beauty that he stole among the lodges at night and carried her off to his mountain home.

Now Hana was not surprised for she was a dreamer. It was said that when she was between sleeping and waking she saw things that were to be and they could not be gainsaid. From her youth she had dreamed of being taken afar off and it had come to pass.  

Then, though she was stolen from the lodges of her people, she came to love Jondul her captor; and her love was returned by him and so he would deny her nothing. Then Hana lived with Jondul Halfgiant for the space of ten years and had a son by him. Often times she shared her dreams with Jondul, her husband, and he became more wise for hearing them. 

But as the years passed, Hana seemed to miss the tents of her father, and the love she bore him consumed her with its sadness. Many times Jondul caught her staring into the great valley with tears in her eyes.

"What does my wife desire?" Jondul asked one day.

"I fear I must die apart from my people," Hana said. "For even now I have seen my fathers death by grief and I know that my death will follow quickly."

Then Jondul grieved and said, "Perhaps it is not yet as you have dreamed. You must return to the tent of your father and take to him this son you have born, so he will know that his line has not perished."

So Hana took her son and departed Jondul and returned to the lodges of her father's people. And Jondul was filled with grief for it was there that she died. And her dream was not gainsaid, for she died apart from those who became her people.

The son of Hana was raised among those who dwell in Eastrun. He became a mighty warlord and hero of his age.

 

The Princes of Erenes VIII: Law and Chaos in the Principalities

Long ago the Principalities were ruled by noble Houses which built glittering Alds that rose to the sky. But the Alds were eventually abandoned and became the possession of lesser men.

Into this land came Ris, who is sometimes called the Hound of Law, and sometimes the white god. By his side was Kels, who is sometimes called the Grimalkin of Chaos, and sometimes the black goddess. From a conflict over the sea, they fled to the shores of the Principalities. Because news of their coming was noised far and wide, the Black Princes of Florenia, Genia, and Matinia came out to meet them on the sea.

But not all of them together were strong enough to oppose Ris. He sank their ships and set their men adrift. Then Ris lashed the Black Princes who had opposed him to the prows of his vessels and went next to the Danello Isles.

But the Black Princes of Belolia, Iglesia, Novaria, Comaria, Leccia, Pordenia, and Ferraria would not submit at his landing. So Ris and Kels fought against them and in the power of their fury struck terror into the hearts of all men. These were the Wars of Subjugation and when the fury was spent, the islands were no more, for they had been swallowed by the waves. 

When Ris and Kels made landfall at Benonia on the mainland, their Black Princes came out to show them obeisance. Then Kels danced above the water which divided Westrun from the Principalities and many saw her and were charmed.

The Princes of Erenes VII: The Contest of Heimos and Ris

In due time, Ris came to Westrun and settled there among the people, then Heimos came after. And the two quarreled for the company of Kels who had put aside by Lamon. For Ris desired that she accompany him wherever he roamed, but Heimos desired her since the dance she had made for him. 

A great feud grew between the Princes until they lashed out in their fury. The fields burned with their anger and an entire forest was swept away. A hill were flattened and a mountains was brought low. The people of Westrun were frightened and begged the Princes to refrain from their battle, but they did not relent. Finally, Kels intervened between the Princes and beguiled them from their anger. With a drum in one hand and fire in the other, she charmed them promised them both what they most desired. 

Kels said that Ris could remain on one side of the sea and Heimos on the other. And as for the water between them, it would belong to Kels herself and above its waves she would dance in full sight of both of them. So the great pact was struck and in return for the Peace of the Gods, the people honored Kels with a great procession and a spectacle at its end, which is repeated every year during the Festal season. 

The Princes of Erenes VI: The Sons and Daughter of Umirra

Umirra, Prince of Erenes, was a great physician. He came to Southrun cleansing people of their diseases and healing them of their infirmities, but he was hemmed in on all sides by throngs of seekers and did not know rest. So he went out onto the sea to seek respite and there he discovered Marida, a princess of the deep who was sunning herself upon a ring of coral.

Marida was beautiful beyond words. She had skin the hue of the ocean and hair the color of dried salt. She wore clothing that was woven from seaweed and inlaid with pearls. When Umirra saw her, he spoke to her with kind words and flattered her with poetry and bewitched her with his tongue. So Marida took Umirra beneath a whirlpool to the khedivate of her father and there to seek his hand in marriage.

But the khedive was wroth with his daughter and lashed out in his anger, grievously wounding her. So Umirra healed her. Then the anger of the khedive cooled upon seeing what Umirra did and he consented to their marriage.

So Umirra and Marida were wed and soon produced triplets -- sons Amir and Bhamut; and daughter Sekhat. But Marida died in childbirth and in his grief, Umirra followed -- a victim of his own hand. So the khedive cast the infant brothers out of his presence and handed them to the rulers of dry land to raise them, saying, "These are children of the land." But the daughter he allowed to remain for she resembled her mother and the khedive could not bear to part with her.

The Princes of Erenes V: The Wandering of Lamon

After taking his leave of Heimos and putting aside his wife, Lamon went into the Land of Northrun and there became known by the strength of his own hand. He became a great chieftain and a chief among all the chieftains. His ships numbered in the hundreds and his war parties numbered in the tens of thousands and his Hall was the greatest among all of the clans. He won battles beyond counting and made raids without number. Lam the Mighty the Northruners called him, and Black Death besides.

But the people of the North were stubborn and received him not as a prince of Erenes, nor did they consider him a god.

"We know only the Creator and the Glorious Lady," they said, "For we are taught by people of old and we would revere no other, even to the point of death."

So Lamon left aside his ships and war parties and Hall. Out into the countryside he went as a wanderer, seeking the Creator and the Glorious Lady of whom it was spoken. Into every Land he went, chasing the gods of humans and inhumans alike, until he returned to his Hall on Tirgus Holm and found it roofless and windswept. 

In despair, Lamon burned it and his ships, renouncing all his deity, wealth and fame, and became a hermit. He lives still, it is said, wandering from place to place in search of a goddess of the Northrun people, and granting boons to those who are wise enough to recognize him and circumspect enough to keep his secret.

The Princes of Erenes IV: The Rape of Beleseri and the Head of Mykrojurs

Alone of all the Princes of Erenes, Mykrojurs went into exile. He mourned deeply for the death of Brand and he despaired greatly for the kings of men. So he traveled into the mountains of the Land of Eastrun and there he lived among the giants as one of renown. One day, while walking along the mountain tops, he looked into the caves of that people and espied the giantess maiden, Beleseri, living among her people.

So stricken was he with her beauty that he stole among the caves at night and carried her off to his mountain redoubt. There he lavished her with every gift that his imagination could bear. Of men, creatures, plants and minerals he made gifts, but she would not consent to receive any of them, for she said that she was promised to another.

For two years and two days he made gifts of every kind, but still the virgin Beleseri, would not relent. So it was that eventually Mykrojurs entered unto her chamber and forced himself upon her until she was made to be with child. 

That evening Beleseri told the prince of Erenes that she would want only one gift, which she would receive with gratitude. Mykrojurs was elated saying, "I shall grant you two gifts of land, sea or sky -- whatever you ask."

So Beleseri asked for her freedom and the head of Mykrojurs. Which he granted to her that day. Beleseri used the riches of her house to entomb Mykrojurs and when her son Jondul became of age, she made a gift to him of his father's head.

The Princes of Erenes III: The Seduction of Heimos by Kels

Now Kels was the wife of Lamon and the sower of chaos. She was a being of surpassing beauty and loved to dance. So Lamon hid her behind veils, lest others espy her and become enamored of her. Beside her bed he chained the darkling hounds and bid them to watch over her.

 

Now Angest was lame but had eight eyes and they were set in a ring upon his head so that he could see in all directions at once. And Angor was blind but had eight legs, which meant he could run faster than any prince or creature. Together the two stood watch on the bed of Lamon and kept Kels captive.

But Kels often fed the hounds from her own plate and so earned their trust. She was able to tame them despite their massive jaws and sharp teeth. On the night that the princes left Heimos, she was able to bind the Hounds with her veils. She bound the eyes of Angest and the legs of Angor and slipped out of the bed of Lamon. She went naked into the presence of Heimos and there, she danced.

Heimos was filled with lust for Kels and in the darkness of the night he made vain promises to her. The captain of the princes promised to spare his kindled wrath against the other princes and to allow each to go their own way into the Four Lands. When Heimos saw who it was that he promised, he chased her from his chamber promising her death.

So Kels returned to Lamon, her husband, but Lamon was wroth for the binding of his hounds and he put aside his wife. Then he cursed the men of Erenth saying, that whosoever would lay with Kels would become blind, and a eunuch forever.

So it was that Kels came to be with Ris, who was the eldest and most infirm of all the princes and beyond the siring of children.

The Princes of Erenes II: The Counsel of Heimos and the Deicide of Brand

When the chariot had come to rest upon the Aksus, Heimos, captain of the Princes, looked out upon the world of Erenth and declared that if man should heed their counsel, then the Princes would reward them. In return, the Princes would be as gods to them and protect them and keep them safe. And the people who were gathered there said, "Let it be," and paid obeisance.

Then to demonstrate their love and their trust, the Princes set aside the robes of their magnificence and the mantles of their regency; and they stepped foot upon the Aksus as if they were only the peers of men. But the kings of that time were savages and unlearned. They were jealous of the Princes incomparable wisdom and jealous of their luminous beauty and jealous of their immense power.

"If these Princes of Erenes come among us," they said, "we will have no more power forever."

So the kings of men attacked the princes and speared Brand, who was as a son to Heimos, the captain of the Princes. This kindled a great fury in Heimos who put on his robe of magnificence and the mantle of his regency. Then he raged with thunder and lightning and slew all of the kings who had come to him to pay obeisance.

Then the Princes of Erenes gathered around and their grief was great for the broken body of Brand, but the fear of their captain was even greater. 

"Let us each go out into the Four Lands, and tame the lords and kings of men, for they know only evil which they have learned from the Vyrum. Let us therefore go among them and show them a better way."

But Heimos could not be consoled in his wrath. He placed the body of his son, Brand, on a pyre made from the chariot and burned it upon the Aksus, while the princes slipped away in the darkness to fulfill their plan.

Mykrojurs went to the Land of Eastrun. Lamon went to Northrun, Umirra went to Southrun, Ris went to Westrun.

The Princes of Erenes I: The Dawning of Glory

For ages out of mind, the gods looked with disapproval upon the corruption of the Vyrum. For the Vyrum had broken the Sovrans and lived as a curse. When the gods could countenance it no longer, they deemed that mankind should rise up on the face of Erenth and so, upon a chariot of lightning, the Princes of Erenes came in the year 3565.*

*Most elvish scholars dispute this early date for the advent of the Princes of Erenes. No sage places this date earlier than 3740 and most point to 3744.